Design and evaluation of a wearable vascular interventional surgical robot system

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Remote-controlled robotic vascular interventional surgery can reduce radiation exposure to interventional physicians and improve safety. However, inconvenient operation and lack of force feedback limit its application. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A new wearable robotic system for vascular interventional surgery is designed, which is more flexible in operation. It ensures the safety of surgery through haptic force feedback. The system was evaluated by human vascular models and animal experiments. RESULTS: The average static error of the system is 0.048 mm when the axial motion is 250 mm and 1.259° when the rotational motion is 400°. The average error of the force feedback is 0.021 N. The results of vascular model experiments and animal experiments demonstrate the feasibility and safety of the system. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed robotic system can assist physicians in remotely delivering standard catheters or guidewires. The system is more flexible and uses haptic force feedback to ensure surgical safety.